Area Guides

Love where you live

At Mark Smith Estate Agents we understand that buying a new home can be an emotional matter. We hope your next move takes you to a place you love. Our area guides give an overview of what you might expect from a move to...

Area guide to Whitstable

Located on the East Kent coast, Whitstable is the quintessential Victorian harbour town. Modern day visitors only have to scratch the surface of fishing, oysters, cafes and restaurants, to discover a town rich in history. The diving suit and the first fare-paying passenger trains all have their engineering and design roots in the town. The central streets of Whitstable are typically Victorian housing stock originally built for families working in the fishing and boat building trades. There are a number of infants and junior schools in the centre of Whitstable, with the Community College Whitstable offering great facilities and good opportunities for secondary school students. The main healthcare facilities are at Estuary View Medical Centre and Chestfield Medical Centre, with supporting doctor and dentist surgeries in Whitstable town centre.

Beyond the Harbour area, the town’s residential streets include a diverse mixture of contemporary apartments, family townhouses from the 19th, 20th and 21st Century. Away from the sea front, there are substantial opportunities to find elevated homes with distant sea views – the sunset views from some terraces and balconies can be exceptional.

The town stretches westwards towards Seasalter, Mariner’s View and the Bird Estate. Joy Lane School serves these areas of town, which are also in easy reach of the Estuary View Medical Centre and an out of town retail development offering a Marks & Spencer Food Hall, Aldi and Home Bargains. To the East, Tankerton provides a second high street to the town – running parallel to Marine Parade’s seafront lawns. The regular Tankerton, street grid, gives way to Swalecliffe which curves along the coast in the direction of Herne Bay. Tankerton and Swalecliffe schools include St Mary’s Catholic School and Swalecliffe Infants and Juniors as well as several nurseries for under 5’s. Both Swalecliffe and Seasalter feature a strong bungalow market, while Tankerton offers a diverse mix of family sized homes.

Area guide to Canterbury

Thanks to its Cathedral, Canterbury is designated as a World Heritage Site. It has attracted pilgrims and visitors from across the UK and beyond throughout its history. The City centre has a mix of historic properties alongside contemporary new builds. There’s plenty of choice for people looking for city centre living. Bars, shops and restaurants make this a lively place to live.

Outside the City Walls, the city radiates towards the coast and into the countryside. It is widely regarded as a ‘young’ city. There are two Universities and a strong number of good and outstanding schools, so it appeals to young adults as well as growing families

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There’s plenty of cultural attractions too. The Marlowe Theatre presents its own performances as well as touring productions from London’s West End. There are literary, food and music festivals throughout the year, naturally appealing to a wide cross section of residents and visitors.

Area guide to Herne Bay

Herne Bay is a traditional seaside town that continues to offer great amenities for residents and visitors throughout the year. The seafront promenade of gardens and playgrounds starts at the Sailing Club and extends west, past the Clock Tower, the newly refurbished pier and ends at Hampton with beach huts and Rowing Club.

Regency homes, new apartments, fisherman’s cottages and executive homes can be found all the way along the seafront. Running parallel to the seafront is Mortimer Street, the town’s pedestrianised shopping street. This is where you’ll mostly find Victorian terraced homes. The main high street is only a short step away from the town’s leisure centre, including a cinema showing the latest releases.

There are a number of number of prime locations around the town’s green spaces. Wide, tree lined streets are a feature across the town. Hotspots areas to look out for include Hampton, Greenhill, Eddington, Broomfield, Beltinge and Hillborough.

Area guide to Faversham

Medieval buildings and history jostle alongside the lively town centre (home to Kent’s oldest street market) and creative Creek-side businesses. Commercial enterprises past and present, such as brewing, fruit farming, shipbuilding and gunpowder, have shaped the town’s development.

Shepherd Neame Brewing is a notable feature of the town, while the large Tesco’s supermarket has found a new use for the Fremlin Brewery.

Faversham Recreation Ground was bequeathed to the town by local solicitor, Henry Wreight in 1860. It is now a much loved public space for the town. The town is well regarded for its

Victorian and Edwardian town houses as well as much older mediaeval cottages in the centre and contemporary developments in the town’s suburbs.

Trains from Faversham Station speed commuters to Ebbsfleet International and London (as well as Canterbury and Thanet) on a high speed rail link. The town offers families the choice of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in the town centre and the Abbey School, a Business and Enterprise Academy, in the south of the town.

The Faversham Hop Festival is a lively celebration of the town’s hop heritage. It is one of the largest free street festivals in the south east with lots to see and do throughout the weekend.

Local theatre productions take place in Faversham’s Arden Theatre as part of the Canterbury Festival, every autumn. Brogdale Farm to the south of the town, hosts DEFRA’s National Fruit Collection and hosts a number of fruit festivals throughout the year.